9 Major Factors To Consider When Planning Your African Safari
Ambience,
Will you be staying in or near the park? (If you
stay well outside the park, you’ll miss the good early morning and evening
wildlife-viewing hours.) Are the surroundings atmospheric? Will you be in a
large lodge or an intimate private camp?
Equipment
Mediocre vehicles and equipment can significantly
detract from the overall experience. In remote areas, lack of quality equipment
or vehicles and appropriate back-up arrangements can be a safety risk.
Access
and activities
If you don’t relish the idea of hours in a 4WD on
bumpy roads, consider parks and lodges where you can fly in. Areas offering
walking and boat safaris are best for getting out of the vehicle and into the
bush.
Guides
A good
driver/guide c an make or break your safari. With low-budget
operators trying to cut corners, chances are that staff are unfairly paid, and
are not likely to be knowledgeable or motivated.
Community commitment
Look for operators that do more than just give lip
service to ‘ecotourism’ principles, and that have a genuine, long-standing
commitment to the communities where they work. In addition to being more
culturally responsible, they’ll also be able to give you a more authentic and
enjoyable experience.
Setting the agenda
Some drivers feel that they have to whisk you from
one good ‘sighting’ to the next. If you prefer to stay in one strategic place
for a while to experience the environment and see what comes by, discuss this
with your driver. Going off in wild pursuit of the ‘Big Five’ means you’ll miss
the more subtle aspects of your surroundings.
Extracurriculars
On the
northern circuit, it’s common for drivers to stop at souvenir shops en route.
While this gives the driver an often much-needed break from the wheel, most
shops pay drivers commissions to bring clients, which means you may find
yourself spending more time souvenir shopping than you’d bargained for. Discuss
this with your driver at the outset, ideally while still at the operator’s
offices.
Less
is more
If you’ll be
teaming up with others to make a group, find out how many people will be in
your vehicle, and try to meet your travelling companions before setting off.
Special interests
If birding or other special interests are important,
arrange a private safari with a specialized operator. Also, before you choose
any package make sure you know your interests or what you would love to
experience more on safari, that will help much the operator to choose
appropriate parks and guide who will be a perfect match for your desired safari
experience. Because the flavor if guides differ from one to another there are
some are good in birds, other in plants and other in animals, other in history
and other are good in all aspects.